1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a corneal endothelium analysis service method and system for providing analysis results of image data of corneal endothelium to clients through a computer network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the number of persons wearing contact lenses has been rapidly increasing. Since the corneal endothelium of these persons might be damaged because of the long-term use of the contact lenses, they must have corneal endothelium examined on a regular basis.
Conventionally, for such examination of the corneal endothelium, a set of a corneal endothelium photographing device for photographing the corneal endothelium and a corneal endothelium analysis device for analyzing the image data of the corneal endothelium photographed by the photographing device and calculating various evaluation values. The set of these devices are installed at contact lens shops, glass shops, hospitals, clinics, etc.
The corneal endothelium photographing device is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 7-75624, 2-362, or the like. In general, the corneal endothelium photographing device comprises a photographing portion including various optical systems such as an anterior segment observing optical system, a photographing optical system, an alignment optical system, and a focusing optical system, a photographing portion drive mechanism for driving the photographing portion to be moved in X, Y, and Z directions, a control portion for controlling the photographing portion drive mechanism for alignment and focusing, or the like. The corneal endothelium photographing device capable of photographing the corneal endothelium automatically or semiautomatically has been commercially available.
Examples of the corneal endothelium analysis device are a manual analysis device that requires processing by an operator and an automatic analysis device that performs image processing. In these devices, based on image data of the corneal endothelium sent from the corneal endothelium photographing device, various evaluation values including an average cell area of the corneal endothelium, the number of corneal endothelium cells per unit area, standard deviation of corneal endothelium cell areas, a variation coefficient of the corneal endothelium cell areas, the rate of appearance of a hexagon cell, etc are analyzed.
While the corneal endothelium analysis device by the manual analysis is inexpensive, large amount of labor of the operator and time are required. Besides, since the operator might make mistakes in judgment or entering data, the accuracy of the analysis is low.
On the other hand, the large amount of labor of the operator is unnecessary and therefore, no mistakes are made in the corneal endothelium analysis device by the automatic analysis, but the device is very expensive, so that many users do not enjoy the convenience of the device.
The present invention has been developed for solving the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a corneal endothelium analysis service method and system capable of providing accurate analysis results of corneal endothelium to a client who needs analysis of the corneal endothelium at a low cost without a need for a corneal endothelium analysis device that increases operation burden and is expensive.
According to the present invention, there is provided a corneal endothelium analysis service method which provides an analysis service of corneal endothelium image data to a client through a network, comprising: a receiving step for receiving the corneal endothelium image data which is transmitted from a terminal owned by a client (client terminal); an analyzing step for analyzing the received corneal endothelium image data; and a first transmission step for transmitting an analysis result to the terminal.
In the corneal endothelium analysis service method, a client who needs analysis of the corneal endothelium transmits image data of an image of the corneal endothelium photographed by a corneal endothelium photographing device owned by the client through the network. The image data is received in the receiving step. The image data is analyzed in the analyzing step. The analysis result is transmitted in the first transmission step. With these steps, the analysis service of the corneal endothelium is provided to the client, and the client can quickly obtain the analysis result of the image data through the network. What is prepared by the client is only the corneal endothelium photographing device for analysis of the corneal endothelium. The method of the present invention need not a burdensome and expensive corneal endothelium analysis device that has been conventionally necessary for analysis of the corneal endothelium, and is therefore economical. Since at least one corneal endothelium analysis device prepared by a provider of the corneal endothelium analysis service method is satisfactory, it is not necessary to prepare the device for each client. Consequently, usage efficiency is increased as a whole. Further, by upgrading an analysis software used in the analysis step of the analysis service method of the corneal endothelium to the most up-to-date software, the client can always obtain the analysis result obtained by the newest analysis.
In the corneal endothelium analysis service method, the image data and items to be analyzed that are demanded by the client may be received in the receiving step, and only the items demanded by the client may be analyzed in the analyzing step. This is adaptable to how the client utilizes the corneal endothelium analysis service and only the items demanded by the client can be provided to the client at a reasonably low cost.
In the corneal endothelium analysis service method, the items analyzed in the analyzing step may include at least one item selected from a group comprising a processed corneal endothelium image, a minimum cell area of the corneal endothelium, a maximum cell area of the corneal endothelium, the number of analyzed corneal endothelium cells, an average cell area of the corneal endothelium, the number of corneal endothelium cells per unit area, standard deviation of corneal endothelium cell areas, a variation coefficient of the corneal endothelium cell areas and a rate of appearance of a hexagonal cell.
These items prepared in the analyzing step are satisfactory for examination of the corneal endothelium at the contact lens shops, the glass shops, the oculist, or the like.
The corneal endothelium analysis service method may further comprise: a storing step for storing analysis results and the image data as being associated with a subject; and a second transmission step for transmitting the stored analysis results in reply to a request from the client. The analysis results and the image data are stored as being associated with the subject in the storing step, and the stored analysis results are transmitted in the second transmission step. Therefore, the client can observe time-series analysis results of the corneal endothelium for each subject easily and quickly and obtain more accurate analysis results.
The corneal endothelium analysis service method, may further comprise: a photographing step for controlling a photographing operation of a corneal endothelium photographing device owned by the client and photographing the corneal endothelium of a subject via the network and the client terminal. Thereby, a photographing operation (e.g. alignment, focusing) of the corneal endothelium photographing device owned by the client is directly controlled in the photographing step via the network and the client terminal, and under the control, the corneal endothelium of the subject can be photographed. Therefore, the photographing step simplifies an operation of an operator on the side of the client, and hence eliminates the need for the operator.
The corneal endothelium analysis service method may further comprise: an instructing step for observing a condition of the subject with respect to the corneal endothelium photographing device and transmitting an instruction to the terminal to bring the subject into a condition under which the subject can be photographed via the network and the terminal. The instructing step allows the subject to easily take an appropriate attitude for photographing. Therefore, the instructing step further simplifies the operation of the operator on the side of the client, and hence further eliminates the need for the operator.
The corneal endothelium analysis service method, may further comprise: a calculating step for calculating fee of the analysis service; and an accounting step for performing accounting of the calculated fee to the client. In the calculating step and the accounting step, accounting of appropriate fee to the client can be quickly performed, and the client can enjoy the analysis service of the demanded items of the corneal endothelium at a low cost.
In the corneal endothelium analysis service method, each of the steps (receiving step, analyzing step, first transmission step, storing step, second transmission step, photographing step, instructing step, calculating step, and accounting step) may be performed by using a site on Internet. These days, since the Internet is widely used, everybody can enjoy the corneal endothelium analysis service easily and quickly.
In the corneal endothelium analysis service method, each of the steps may be performed under control of the client terminal accessing the site. Since the corneal endothelium image data and image-processed corneal endothelium image data have large amount of information, relatively much time is required in transmission/reception via the network. So, by downloading the program for executing the analyzing step or the like to the client terminal accessing the site and executing each of the steps under control of the client terminal, transmission of the image data becomes unnecessary and the analysis service of the corneal endothelium can be provided at real time.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a corneal endothelium analysis service system which provides an analysis service of corneal endothelium image data to a client through a network, comprising: a receiving means for receiving the corneal endothelium image data which is transmitted from a terminal owned by a client; an analyzing means for analyzing the received corneal endothelium image data; and a first transmission means for transmitting an analysis result to the terminal.
In the corneal endothelium analysis service system, similarly to the corneal endothelium analysis service method, what is prepared by the client is only the corneal endothelium photographing device for analysis of the corneal endothelium. The service system of the present invention need not a burdensome and expensive corneal endothelium analysis device that has been conventionally necessary for analysis of the corneal endothelium. Simultaneously, everybody can enjoy the analysis service of the corneal endothelium that is highly accurate and effective at a low cost.
Similarly to the method, in the corneal endothelium analysis service system, the image data and items to be analyzed that are demanded by the client may be received by the receiving means, and only the items demanded by the client may be analyzed by the analyzing means. The items analyzed by the analyzing means may include at least one item selected from a group comprising a processed corneal endothelium image, a minimum cell area of the corneal endothelium, a maximum cell area of the corneal endothelium, the number of analyzed corneal endothelium cells, an average cell area of the corneal endothelium, the number of corneal endothelium cells per unit area, standard deviation of corneal-endothelium cell areas, a variation coefficient of the corneal endothelium cell areas and a rate of appearance of a hexagonal cell. The corneal endothelium analysis service system may further comprise: a storing means for storing analysis results and the image data as being associated with the subject; a second transmission means for transmitting the stored analysis results in reply to a request from the client; a photographing means for controlling a photographing operation of a corneal endothelium photographing device owned by the client and photographing the corneal endothelium of the subject via the network and the terminal; an instructing means for observing a condition of the subject with respect to the corneal endothelium photographing device and transmitting an instruction to the terminal to bring the subject into a condition under which the subject can be photographed via the network and the terminal; a calculating means for calculating fee of the analysis service; and an accounting means for performing accounting of the calculated fee to the client. In the corneal endothelium analysis service system, each of the means may be performed by using a site on Internet and each of the means may be performed under control of the terminal accessing the site.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with reference to accompanying drawings.